Pages

Saturday, April 4, 2015

The Night Horde SoCal is the new charter of the Night Horde MC, one that rose up from the ashes of a violent war with a drug cartel. The Horde’s outlaw days ended with that war.

Muse, like many of his SoCal brothers, was a member of an MC that was destroyed in that fight. A former Nomad enforcer, he’s struggled to be settled in a straight life. But Southern California is his home, his family is now Horde, and he has responsibilities. So he keeps his head down and does his best to take care of his family and responsibilities.

Sidonie has recently moved to Madrone, the town where the Night Horde SoCal has set up its base, to begin her job as a social worker for San Bernardino County. It’s work she feels a sense of mission to do.

Muse and Sid meet under stressful circumstances, on opposite sides of a dilemma. When Muse tries to bring her to his side, a fire catches between them.

As their feelings for each other deepen, the work of the SoCal charter becomes dangerous again. But the club isn’t the only potential danger for Sid. Her own work carries risk, too.

Muse needs to keep her safe. Sid needs to stand on her own. They won’t have a future together until they find the place where those needs merge and make them stronger.

Strength & Courage is the first book in the Night Horde SoCal series. Though this series, and thus its backstory, spins off from the Signal Bend Series, and though key characters from that series appear here, this focus is on the SoCal charter. If you haven’t been to Signal Bend yet, you won’t be lost in Madrone.

Note: Explicit sex & violence.

5++ "I love you enough" Stars

I discovered Susan Fanetti less than a year ago through the rave reviews from TeriLyn and Irene and dove right into the Signal Bend series. Once I met Isaac and Lilli, there was no turning back for me. Ms. Fanetti is one of my top five favourite authors. I struggle to describe what her writing, characters and stories do to me…ACK, writing is my profession (I write speeches, articles, press releases, etc.,) so you'd think this would be easy yet, here I am speechless to bring to life her brilliance.

So, I’m borrowing the words of another…I took a quote from a book that I love to help explain the depth of spirit, bond and emotion that Ms. Fanetti’s books evoke in me.

“Every book…has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

This story was deeply moving, fierce and brilliant!!

For me, the characters are always so special, real and original. They're rich with personality, layers of light and dark, right and wrong and strong in conviction, in force, in love, in most ways imaginable. This author knows how to create kickass heroines; strong, smart, resilient women who leave their mark. Sidonie Tuladhar is no different. While she may be slight and look fragile, this girl is full of fire and fight.

“I don’t want to be without you.” “Then stay.”

“Love me. Trust me. Trust what you know of me. That’s who I am.”

And then there is Muse, once a Nomad and now a soldier in the SoCal Night Horde. This man is caring and gentle yet fierce and demanding. He's comfortable with who he is and doesn't bullshit. In fact, most of Ms. Fanetti's men are contradictions but then again, in RL, isn’t that what most men are? I mean that in the best way possible.

My favourite part/quote:

“Muse?”

“Yeah, hon?”

“I’m falling here. Please don’t be an asshole.” His heart stilled, then restarted with a thump.